Ladies and Gentlemen, please be upstanding

In the world of English football, there is currently an on-going debate on whether or not standing at football matches should be allowed and if it should/could be reintroduced to the top flight of English football.

Some are worried that a return of terracing in football stadia would cause an increase in violence at matches. This is mainly referring to the top flight, as many clubs in the lower leagues still have a terrace. The current cut off point for not allowing terraces in stadia is between League One and the Championship. 200% make a good point that if standing at matches is so dangerous then there should already be a blanket ban covering all the leagues, thus preventing any terraces at all in the stadia. The view that terracing would see a return in violence at matches is nonsensical as it is assuming that as soon as the first terrace is built in the Premier League everyone would think they are back in the 70’s and 80’s and begin to grow mullets and start fighting. This would never happen as the fans would still be segregated, especially in the top flight.

The dreadful tragedy that occurred at Hillsborough may have involved standing areas of supporters, but this incident should not be used as an argument against the reintroduction of terraces. It is widely documented that at Hillsborough the awful events that unfolded were the sad result of many contributing factors, but no-one can pretend that what happened was because it was, in parts, a standing area. The standing areas certainly did not help the situation but the disaster could have been prevented if there had been, among other things, better crowd control and strict ticketing policies in place, which nowadays there are.

In a Guardian blog debating the reintroduction of standing areas Andy Holt, the Assistant Chief Constable of South Yorkshire police who is against terracing, says that seating areas are a more welcoming place for families and young people. Firstly, the main reason for the increase in families and young people coming to football matches is surely due to the significant decrease in violence in the last 30 years, not because they can now sit down. There will always be people swearing at football matches, in seated areas as well as standing areas. If you are sitting near someone swearing and being disruptive then you have no choice but to listen to it all match because you cannot move away as you’ve already been assigned a seat. In a terrace you can move wherever you want in order to get away from the person in question.

I’m at a loss however to explain Andy Holt’s view that there is an improved atmosphere in seated areas. Maybe he’s referring to the famous atmosphere in the Kop at Anfield, but as Malcolm Clarke points out in the same Guardian article it is quite common for the majority of the Kop (and similar areas at other clubs) to stand during games. From a personal point of view, I’m with Malcolm Clarke on this as any game I have been to where I have been in a terrace; the atmosphere is completely different to that when I have been sitting at other games.

Upon finishing reading Andy Holt’s/ the police’s view of the terrace debate I was left wondering how many football matches Andy Holt has actually been to. At almost all matches when a team is attacking and bearing down on goal, the fans of the team have stood up in anticipation of celebrating a goal. This is perhaps seen as a selfish act by a minority also sitting in the same stand but isn’t it just a natural reaction to quickly jump up out of your seat expecting/ hoping for a goal to follow? It happens at matches, in pubs and even in homes all over the country. Especially if it involves the frequently nerve racking England games in the World Cup and Euros.

When you get to the bottom of the whole debate, we (well, the FA) are deciding whether or not to give fans a choice. Why not just give them this choice? If people want to pay to stand then let them, I imagine that many would happily pay the same price as the people sitting if it meant they could enjoy the atmosphere of the terrace. On the flip side, if people want to sit then they can and they always will be able to because no-one is suggesting that clubs transform their whole stadiums into four terraced stands.

If the FA/Police need an example of how terraces in top flight football can work and be implemented then all they need to do is follow the example of some Bundesliga clubs in Germany who still have terraces. If Germany, a country just as advanced as the UK, can find a way to have safe standing areas put in place at some stadiums in the best attended (on average) football league in the World then surely there would not be a problem for the Premier League and Championship.

If you support the Football Supporters Federation’s proposal to give fans the choice of standing at football matches in England and Wales then you can sign a petition here.